Council Could Dull Clark`s Wedding Bells

June 6, 1985|By Dean Chang, Staff Writer

LAUDERHILL — Marianne Tomlinson and Councilman Buddy Clark request the honour of your presence at their marriage on Friday, the twenty-first of June nineteen hundred and eighty-five at two o`clock in the afternoon (at) Lauderhill City Hall.

Wedding bells are ringing in the couple`s ears, but a hitch in their plans has threatened to silence the bells temporarily.

City Council President Clark and Tomlinson plan to get married in the Council Chambers of City Hall, holding the reception in a City Hall meeting room.

But according to Mayor David Kaminsky, the use of a meeting room is restricted to business conducted by the city and activities run by city boards or non-profit organizations. Anyone else seeking to use city facilities, including Clark, must obtain the approval of the City Council.

Kaminsky`s views are based on his interpretation of a resolution passed in September 1983 by the council, regarding the use of all city facilities by only city boards and non-profit organizations. The resolution does not apply to any other group or individual who wish to use the city facilities.

According to Hayward Benson, a former Lauderhill council member who voted for the resolution, the intent of the resolution was not to prohibit weddings.

``It was not designed to preclude that kind of activity,`` Benson said. ``At the time the legislation was introduced, we didn`t have weddings in mind. We wanted to regulate the usage so that the building would not be abused.``

Kaminsky intends to bring the matter before the council Monday night.

``I`m not trying to deprive him (Clark) of anything,`` Kaminsky said. ``Since the council passed the resolution, it`s their job to decide. There are no personalities involved here -- it`s just a question set up by council, not by me.``

Clark is ``highly suspicious`` of Kaminsky`s motives.

``I`m very suspicious when this comes up two weeks before the wedding,`` Clark said. ``The wedding was in the newspapers a week after Easter, so he knew about it since then. It seems like the man should be above all this, but obviously he`s not above any cheap shot he can throw. I`m amazed that the mayor has no problems to worry about except to worry about Buddy Clark.``

If Kaminsky brings the issue to council, Clark can expect to be granted permission to use the city`s facilities. All five council members had no objections to the location of Clark`s marriage ceremony and reception.

Some council members were unsure if the matter was something for the council to decide, suggesting that it might be an administrative matter to be handled by the mayor.

Clark said his proposed wedding location wasn`t a matter for council. ``This is the first time where the mayor has had any comment where the council has power over the mayor,`` Clark said.

City Attorney Richard Roarke understood Kaminsky`s position. ``Because of the nature of the request, he feels he shouldn`t make the decision alone,`` Roarke said. ``But because the request was made by a councilman, one who criticizes him often, he`s going to let council decide.``

To Kaminsky`s knowledge, there have been no exceptions granted to the 1983 council resolution. He claims the resolution has always been invoked by the City Clerk`s Office, which schedules the usage of city facilities. Muriel Trombley, the city clerk, agrees to some extent.

``The city facilities have been used by groups other than city boards and non-profit organizations,`` Trombley said.

In a memorandum that Kaminsky sent to Clark Wednesday, the mayor detailed some problems Clark`s wedding presented. Clark expected to have up to 250 people present at the wedding and the reception, but Kaminsky noted that the meeting room could not handle that many people. The spillover of people would crowd the lobby, elevators and stairways, according to Kaminsky.

These recent developments have left a bad taste in Tomlinson`s mouth, according to Clark. ``My only concern about this is when she finds out about this all, the wedding will be finished,`` Clark said. ``It`s gotten to be a very ugly thing.`` Tomlinson was unavailable for comment.

This will be the second marriage for both Clark, 38, and Tomlinson, 31. The bride-to-be owns a nail salon in Boca Raton, where she resides.